Wednesday, June 6, 2012

DES MOINES, Iowa--University of Washington junior Logan Miller (left/photo by Mike Scott) continued her amazing ride in the collegiate pole vault circles, as the native of Reno, Nevada finished fourth at the NCAA Division I championships at Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University.

Miller cleared 14-3 1/4 (4.35m), close to her lifetime best of 14-4 1/2 (4.38m) set a couple of weeks ago at the Pac-12 championships in Eugene.

After clearing the opening height of 12-9 1/2 (3.90m), Miller was clean through the next four heights.

The critical bar was 14-1 1/4 (4.30m), which Miller cleared on her third attempt, as she was one of five successful at the height.

Miller then made 14-3 1/4, and finally bowed out of the competition at 14-5 1/4 (4.40m), the height that ultimately sorted out the three podium positions.

Afterwards, Miller said, "I feel like I competed well. I wish I had made the next bar, which would have been a PR, but I'm happy with fourth."

"I'm a consistent 14-foot vaulter now, so I knew I could do that today. Girls were jumping really well and other girls were on their `A' game."

Stanford senior Katerina Stefanidi from Athens, Greece, a familiar sight over the years at the Dempsey Indoor facility, took home the victory at 14-7 1/4 (4.45m), with Georgia frosh Morgann Leleux taking second at 14-5 1/4, and sophomore Bethany Buell third at the same height.

There was some drama in the event before the competition began, as Eastern Washington's Keisa Monterola withdrew from the meet to tend to a family emergency in Venezuela, according to a release from the school.

Monterola was looking to jump 14-5 1/4, the Olympic B standard necessary to clinch a spot on her country's Olympic team. She will have until the entry deadline of July 8th to do so.

Tacoma native Stephan Scott-Ellis finished fifth in the men's long jump finals with a best of 25-7 1/4 (7.80m).

The Curtis HS product opened the first flight competition with a leap of 23-feet, 10 inches (7.26m) and followed with his best leap of the day, a 2.6 meters per second wind-aided leap of 25-7 1/4w (7.80m). His third attempt of 24-2 3/4 (7.38m) was not an improvement and after the second flight's first three attempts Scott-Ellis was in fifth place heading into the final. His final three attempts netted distances of 24-5 1/2 (7.45m) and 23-8 3/4 (7.23m) before he passed on his last attempt due to a sore hamstring.

Texas junior Marquise Goodwin led the competition with his opening leap of 26-10 1/2 (8.19m) but won after soaring on his final attempt to 27-0 (8.23m).

"I'm feeling really blessed because my hamstring was acting up a little bit so I'm grateful that I was able to pull out with a fifth-place finish," Scott-Ellis said.

In the men's 10000, Gig Harbor HS product Miles Unterreiner of Stanford finished 13th in 29:41.22, as Canadian Cameron Levins of Southern Utah won in 28:07.14, finishing with a 58-second last 400.

The NCAA championships resume Thursday, with local prep phenom Katie Flood of the Huskies looking for some more magic from the blue Drake Stadium oval as she runs in the semis of the women's 1500.

Bellingham's Becca Friday of Oregon is also entered in the women's 1500.

Tahoma HS alum Derek Eager of UCLA and the Huskies' Jimmy Brookman will throw in the finals of the men's javelin, while Washington's AJ Maricich makes his NCAA championship meet debut in the high jump Thursday.

University Place native Andrea Geubelle of the University of Kansas will compete in the finals of the women's long jump, while the Huskies' Alaka looks to make amends in the semis of the men's 200.

We are honored to receive this award, as it comes from our peers who passionately cover the sport, and strive to continue the legacy of excellence that the late Adam Jacobs sought before his untimely passing.

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About Me

Internationally respected track and field writer Paul Merca brings his take on the sport to paulmerca.blogspot.com.
Paul was the assistant director of communications for the 1984 USA Women's Olympic Marathon Trials in Olympia, WA., and public relations director for the 1999 USA Cross Country Championships in Tacoma, WA.
The current public address announcer for the University of Washington's home track and field meets, Merca's been a media assistant to the USA national team (2001-11, 13, 15, 17) at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
His vast knowledge of the sport has been utilized by many of the country's sports television networks, and is a senior writer to Northwest Runner magazine. He's covered 13 IAAF World Track & Field Championships, and two Olympics.
Merca graduated from Seattle's Franklin High School in 1977, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in 1981 in Communications.
He competed in track and cross country at Franklin, and ran cross country at the University of Washington.